1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an ink container, and more particularly to an ink container used in an ink jet printer or the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In conventional ink jet recording apparatuses, especially, ink jet printers or the like, cartridge type ink containers are often used with the simplicity of ink replenishment taken into account.
The use of such a cartridge type ink container leads to the various advantages that ink replenishment can be accomplished simply by replacement of the container, that the judgment of the amount to be replenished is unnecessary and that contamination by ink hardly occurs during the replenishing operation.
On the other hand, the cartridge type container has suffered from the following disadvantages.
The dismounting of the cartridge type ink container with respect to a supply path for supplying the ink in the ink container to an ink jet head is generally effected by thrusting a hollow needle into or removing the hollow needle from the sealing member of the ink outlet pipe of the container. In such a system, where it is used for a long period of time, the sealing member formed of an elastic material such as rubber permits the permeation of gases and therefore bubbles may sometimes mix with the ink. Also, when a needle or similar pipe has been left thrusted into the sealing member, leakage of the ink from the thrusted portion has sometimes occurred due to the permanent set of the sealing member after the needle has been removed therefrom.
Accordingly, an elastic material of small permeability and small permanent set has been desired as the sealing member, but it has been difficult to choose a material having both of these two characteristics.